The Silence Book III by Monty Helfgott is a continuation of the time-travel saga that examines various descendants of a great Jewish Rabbi lineage. In Book III we are introduced to Arik (Lion of God). Born in a poor Jewish settlement in Poland, the son of a Grand Rabbi, he is brought up by a simple blacksmith and his mother, whom Arik believe to be his father and grandmother. War clouds are on the horizon and as first the Soviets and then the Nazi march into their small village hell bent on destruction and annihilation of the Jews, Arik needs to discover his true roots and take on his rightful mantle as the Grand Rabbi. The murder of his adopted father leads Arik on a voyage of self-discovery that will ultimately pit him against Soviet Bio-Chemical warfare and the murderous reign of the Nazi Holocaust.

A fast-paced and twisting tale of magic and mysticism all wrapped up in the Jewish religion was quite fascinating and Helfgott clearly has done his research on the subject. I particularly liked that Arik, as a character, was slightly physically deformed, yet it was this deformity that would often prove to be his most potent weapon when required to fight. The idea of Arik’s descendants actually watching and assisting him at times, through the facility of time travel was intriguing and although I found the odd suspension of belief necessary from time to time, the story unrolled well and was an enjoyable read. If you are a fan of magic, mysticism, religious powers wrapped up in a historical package, I’m sure The Silence Book III by Monty Helfgott will be an enjoyable read.